illuminate

adjective il·lu·mi·nate \ i-ˈlü-mə-nət \

Definition of illuminate

1 archaic :brightened with light

2 archaic :intellectually or spiritually enlightened

First Known Use of illuminate

15th century

illuminate

verb il·lu·mi·nate \ i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt \

Definition of illuminate

illuminated; illuminating

transitive verb

1 a :to enlighten spiritually or intellectually

b (1) :to supply or brighten with light

(2) :to make luminous or shining

c archaic :to set alight

d :to subject to radiation

2 a :to make clear :elucidate

b :to bring to the fore :highlight

a crisis can illuminate how interdependent we all are

3 :to make illustrious or resplendent

4 :to decorate (something, such as a manuscript) with gold or silver or brilliant colors or with often elaborate designs or miniature pictures

—

illuminator

play \i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tər\ noun

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Examples of illuminate in a Sentence

the part of the moon illuminated by the sun
A university study has illuminated the problem.

Recent Examples of illuminate from the Web

The Soviet military conducted six tests of the R-36, each at the exact time of day when the missiles were illuminated but the recording cameras were in shadow.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Secret Soviet Space Weapon Mistaken for a UFO," 23 Aug. 2017
Astronomically, Passover occurs when there is a full moon, meaning when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun and thus is fully illuminated by the sun’s rays.

— eric adler, kansascity, "Was Jesus crucified during a solar eclipse? NASA shows one occurred in 33 A.D.," 7 Aug. 2017
Shortly after a series of pieces by Wall Street Journal investigative reporter John Carreyrou illuminated Holmes’s house of cards, Theranos’s very failure was singled out as an example of what worked about the Valley.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "A Fake Mayo Company, a Jaden Smith Lawsuit, and the End of the Silicon Valley Dream," 3 Aug. 2017
The cast members are illuminated by tiny LEDs on their helmets, which emit a light that's detectable in infrared but invisible to the naked eye.

— patrick blanchfield, Esquire, "Shot in the Dark," 1 Aug. 2017
Reading Zhang’s stories in sequence is like looking through a prism at other people’s lives: candid, kaleidoscopic, and often illuminating.

— olivia aylmer, Vanity Fair, "How Jenny Zhang Discovered Her Literary Fairy Godmother in Lena Dunham," 31 July 2017
Pothast added that many other suburban soccer leagues use fields that are illuminated.

— jennifer johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Park Ridge youth soccer group hopes to light up playing field," 27 July 2017
Hours later, Trump and Macron reconvened at the Eiffel Tower for dinner, huddling with their wives at a table next to a wall of windows as the crimson sun fell toward the horizon, illuminating the historic city’s skyline.

— jenna johnson, Washington Post, "Trump and Macron, once cast as adversaries, show they have much in common," 13 July 2017
There, Allied prisoners were forced to work at night in grueling conditions, illuminated by the glow of hundreds of burning fires.

— smithsonianmag.com, "How Thailand's Hellfire Pass Got Its Name," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illuminate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of illuminate

Middle English, from Latin illuminatus, past participle of illuminare, from in- + luminare to light up, from lumin-, lumen light — more at luminary

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First Known Use: 15th century

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